Gettysburg College is committed to helping students who are interested in pursuing careers in the legal field. While there is no designated major or program curriculum (nor is it necessary for entry into law school), faculty and staff are available to help students navigate the challenges of preparing for and applying to law school.
In 2023-24 Academic Year:
39 Gettysburg students matriculated to a law school in the 2023-24 academic year
27 Different law schools will have Gettysburg alumni in their incoming 1L classes
95% of all Gettysburg applicants were accepted into one or more law schools
160 Gettysburg’s average LSAT score among matriculated students
3.68 Gettysburg’s average GPA among matriculated students
Additionally, there are many co-curricular opportunities for engaging in your law-related interests, such as Moot Court, Mock Trial, and the Pre-Law Club. Professor Boddery also offers Legal Analysis (POL 399), which is mirrored after the first year law course taken by all law students nationwide. Legal Analysis is a unique course that is rarely offered at the undergraduate level, and it sets apart Gettysburg College’s pre-law curriculum from those programs at peer institutions and large research universities.
Likewise, the Center for Career Engagement works closely to help students gain exposure and hands-on experience through job shadows, externships, campus programs with alumni/parents in the legal field, and more! Combining academics with opportunities such as these, students are able to explore the field of law in a broader sense and build skills that will serve them well in law school or in other professions they wish to pursue.
Students who are interested in pre-law advising can contact Professor Boddery (sboddery@gettysburg.edu) in Political Science, or Tiffany Kurzawa (tkurzawa@gettysburg.edu) in the Center for Career Engagement to arrange an appointment.
Course Suggestions
As there is no designated pre-law major at Gettysburg, students are encouraged to take courses and select a major that they are passionate about, are challenged in, and enjoy – all of which should lead to academic success. While there are a few majors that may seem ‘typical’ in choosing a law school path, many law schools aren’t focused on your particular major, so find something the fits your interests!
Courses (or extracurricular activities) that involve research, critical thinking, writing, and public speaking are great to consider. You’ll be expected to do a lot of each of these in law school and it is important to practice these skills.
We’ve put together a few course options to consider, which can equip you with some knowledge and skills for taking the LSAT and/or attending law school.
Courses of Potential Interest
- AFS 267 Race, Gender, & the Law
- BUS 363 Business Law
- HIST 334 Law and Society in United States History
- HIST 350 Modern Black Freedom Struggle in America
- HIST 424 Race on Trial
- LAW 250 Criminal Justice
- LAW 260 American Trial
- OMS 338 The Bandits of Wall Street
- OMS 417 Law and Organizations: Property, Liberty, and Society
- PHIL 103 Critical Thinking
- PHIL 211 Logic
- PHIL 222 Philosophical Perspectives on Justice
- PHIL 338 Philosophy of Law
- POL 101 American Government
- POL 225 Constitutional Law I: Institutional Powers & Constraints
- POL 299 Judicial Politics & Behavior
- POL 322 Constitutional Law II: Civil Rights & Liberties
- POL 399 Legal Analysis
*Please review the course catalog for availability, as not every course is offered each semester or every year, and for related course/major pre-requisites.
2023-24 Matriculated Majors
- Political Science (21)
- Philosophy (4)
- History (3)
- Business (3)
- Bio & Chemistry (2)
- Economics
- English
- Classics
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Enviro. Science